Forming machine for structural sections

ABSTRACT

This specification discloses a machine for forming structural sections. Such sections are usually made of a web plate and one or more flange plates. These plates are brought together each in a horizontal plane onto two conveyors, the web plate above the flange plate. The web plate is then pivoted to a position in a vertical plane and brought to position on the flange plate. The flange plate is then welded, riveted or cemented to the web plate. The web is swung up by a shaft which has a clamp mechanism attached to it. The web plate is brought into position on the roller conveyor or overhead cranes and clamped in place, the shaft and mechanism is then rotated to lift the web plate from the rollers and to swing the web plate to vertical position over the flange plate. The assembly is then moved past a welder.

United States Patent Tenpas 1 1 Dec. 12, 1972 [s41 FORMING MACHINE FOR 3,511,964 5/1970 Polyakov et al.., ..219/125 STRUCTURAL SECTIONS 1 Primary Examiner-John F. Campbell [72] Inventor. Emerson J. Tenpas, Erie, Pa. Assistant Examiner R J. Craig [73] Assignee: Eriez Manufacturing Company, Attorney-Charles L. Lovercheck Erie, Pa. 1 1 [22] Filed: June 15, 1970 [57] ABSTRACT This specification discloses a machine for forming [21] Appl' 45983 structural sections. Such sections are usually made of a web'plate and one or more flange plates. These 52 US. (:1. ..22s/49,- 29/200 P, 29/470, Plates are brought wgether each in a horizontal Plane 29/484 228/4, 228/6 onto two conveyors, the web plate above the flange 511 int. (11...; ..n23k 1/14, B23k 37/04 The web Plate is a 58 Field of Search ..22s/44, 49; 219/124, 125; gfgg h g gz gg gig g f g fig; 2 29,200 200 484; 269/25 mented to the web plate. The web is swung up by a shaft which has a clamp mechanism attached to it. The web plate is brought into position on the roller [56] References C'ted conveyor or overhead cranes and clamped in place, UNITED STATES PATENTS the shaft and mechanism is then rotated to lift the web 4 plate from the rollers and to swing the web plate to 3,159,129 12/1964 Lindmark 228/49 X verti al position over the flange plate; The assembly is Eanks at al then moved past a welder. V mnan er 3,291,360 12/1966 Linnander ..219/ 124 '7 Claims, 9 Drawing Figures PATENTED I120 12 1912 3.705.679 SHEET 1 0F 5 PATENTED DEC 12 I872 SHEEI 2 BF 5 INVENTOR.

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: u r l PATENTED EH 2' W SHEET 5 OF 5 INVENTOR. [me 350M 72am;

BY [M Z M Arne/var.

FORMING MACHINE FOR STRUCTURA SECTIONS STATEMENT OF INVENTION This invention relates to structural or fabrication device forming and, more particularly, to a machine for assembling and welding T-shapes.

OBJECTS OF THE INVENTION DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1A is a partial top view of part of the machine;

FIG. 1B is another partial top view of another part of the machine; y I

FIG. 1C is a partial top view of an extrusion conveyor; 7

FIG. -1D is an outline view of the machine assembled in a system for welding and twisting the beam;

FIG. 2 is a cross sectional view taken on line 2-2 of FIG. 1A;

' FIG. 3 is an enlarged view taken at 3-3 of FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is a view taken at line 4- -4 of FIG. 2;

FIG. 5 is a view taken at line 5-5 of FIG. 2;

FIG. 6 is a cross sectional view taken at line 6--6 of FIG. 5.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS The flange plateis carried into the machine on rolls 22 which are parallel to the rolls 30 and below them. The web plate A is carried into the machine on rolls 30 in a plane parallel to the plane of flange plate B. Flange plate B is then transferred to rolls 49 by the transfer mechanism made up of flange feeding bars 24, having pusher lugs 50 on the guides. The flange feeding bars 24 are actuated by hydraulic cylinder 51. The flange is moved over into engagement with the flange positioner rolls 28 or it may be adjusted laterally on rolls 49 by means of jacks 29 which are driven by suitable motors and are synchronized together by jack rod 52 and have flange engaging rolls 70.

The webfplate B moves onto the rolls 30 in a parallel plane with and above the flange plate A on rolls 49. The lateral members 44 are all attached to the hinge rod 32 and are disposed between rolls 30. Hinge rod 32 is rotated by hydraulic cylinder 45 through a suitable mechanism to swing the lateral members 44 from their horizontal position between rolls 30 to their vertical position shown in FIG. 2.

When the web plate B is in position on rolls 30, clamping cylinder 35 is actuated whereby the lugs 34 will grip the flange plate and hold the plate from sliding laterally on the swing frame. The cylinder 35 acts supported on clamp plate 33. When theplate B is duly clamped in position, the motor 45 is actuated, which will swing the frame made up of lateral members 44 upward. This will lift the web plate B off of the rolls 30 and swing the plate to the position shown in FIG. 2 along the direction of the arrow C. The web can then be lowered into engagement with the plate B by means of the gear motor 37 which will move the clamping assembly from the position 37 to position 37" in FIG. 2. In this position, plate B will be in contact with the rolls 56 and the web plate can be adjusted laterally by means through lever 34 and linkage 54 to clamp the plate. The

position of the web plate B on the rolls can be adjusted vertically on the web support gear motor 37 which is of the jack screws 41 supported on frame 40. The rolls 22, 30, and 42 are all driven. The web plate B is held against the rolls 42 by the permanent magnets 56 which are supportedv on the frame 40 at spaced positions after the swinging arms have been lowered to a horizontal position. l a

When the web plate B and flange plate A have been properly located and positioned relative to each other, as shown in FIG. v2, they are advanced past the welding machine 13 where the two plates A and B are welded together. The plate D may be adjusted on the rolls 49 by means of the flange locater 56. When the plates have been welded together, they may be transferred from the machine by the discharge conveyor 14. The T- assembly may pass through a straightening press 16 to a conveyor 17 or it may be transferred to a twisting mechanism or other suitable device.

FIG. 1-D shows a layout of the machine described above in an arrangement wherein the T-Bar former forms the T-Bar and welds it in welding machine 13, then carries it on conveyor 14 to the straightening press 15 on the lateral conveyor 16 to the outlet table 17, then over conveyor 18 back over T-Bar twister 19 to the conveyor 20 from which is will be transferred to its final destination.

The foregoing specification sets forth the invention in its preferred practical forms but the structure shown is capable of modification within a range of equivalents without departing from the invention which is to be understood is broadly novel as is commensurate with the appended claims.

The embodiments of the invention in which an exclusive property or privilege is claimed are defined as follows:

1. A machine for forming structural shapes made up of at least a first plate and a second plate,

means to move said first plate into said machine and means to move said second plate into said machine below said first plate and in a plane parallel to said first plate,

means to move said second plate laterally to an assembling position,

means to swing said first plate into a plane parallel to said second plate and means to move said first plate and said second plate into engagement with each other, and

means to weld said plates together to form said sec tion,

and means to move said plates welded together from said machine.

2. The machine recited in claim 1 wherein said means to convey said plates into said machine and said means to move said plates from said machine comprises roller conveyors having driven rolls.

3. The machine recited in claim 2 wherein said means to swing said first plate comprises a swing frame having lateral members disposed below and between some of said rolls,

a hinge rod extending parallel to said plates,

the ends of said rolls adjacent said assembly position being fixed to said hinge rod,

and means to swing said hinge rod to move said first plate to positionv perpendicular to said second plate.

4. The machine recited in claim 3 wherein means is provided on said swing frame to clamp the edge of said plates remote from said rod and to hold said first plate to move said first plate onto said second plate when said plates are disposed perpendicular to each other.

5. The machine'recited in claim 4 wherein a fourth conveyor made of vertically extending rolls is supported in position to support said first plate when said first plate is in position over said second plate,

and permanent magnets are disposed between the rolls of said fourth conveyor for holding said first plate to said fourthrolls.

6. The machine recited in claim 4 wherein said means for moving said second plate laterally comprises a plurality of transfer members having lugs therein and means for moving said transfer members laterally.

7. The machine recited in claim 1 wherein said means for welding said plates together comprises a member supported adjacent said means to move said plates from said machine whereby said plates are welded together as they move from said machine.

l IF l 

1. A machine for forming structural shapes made up of at least a first plate and a second plate, means to move said first plate into said machine and means to move said second plate into said machine below said first plate and in a plane parallel to said first plate, means to move said second plate laterally to an assembling position, means to swing said first plate into a plane parallel to said second plate and means to move said first plate and said second plate into engagement with each other, and means to weld said plates together to form said section, and means to move said plates welded together from said machine.
 2. The machine recited in claim 1 wherein said means to convey said plates into said machine and said means to move said plates from said machine comprises roller conveyors having driven rolls.
 3. The machine recited in claim 2 wherein said means to swing said first plate comprises a swing frame having lateral members disposed below and between some of said rolls, a hinge rod extending parallel to said plates, the ends of said rolls adjacent said assembly position being fixed to said hinge rod, and means to swing said hinge rod to move said first plate to position perpendicular to said second plate.
 4. The machine recited in claim 3 wherein means is provided oN said swing frame to clamp the edge of said plates remote from said rod and to hold said first plate to move said first plate onto said second plate when said plates are disposed perpendicular to each other.
 5. The machine recited in claim 4 wherein a fourth conveyor made of vertically extending rolls is supported in position to support said first plate when said first plate is in position over said second plate, and permanent magnets are disposed between the rolls of said fourth conveyor for holding said first plate to said fourth rolls.
 6. The machine recited in claim 4 wherein said means for moving said second plate laterally comprises a plurality of transfer members having lugs therein and means for moving said transfer members laterally.
 7. The machine recited in claim 1 wherein said means for welding said plates together comprises a member supported adjacent said means to move said plates from said machine whereby said plates are welded together as they move from said machine. 